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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Rest Adler Cosel artillery battery, nicknamed the Requin, is a former French military installation located in the Mathes, Charente-Maritime. Originally built by the National Navy, it was renovated between 1942 and 1943 by German forces as part of the Atlantic Wall. This strategic site was then undergoing a major transformation, abandoning its pelvis encuments to adopt four marine-type casemates arranged in half-moon.

The casemates were camouflaged with olivating motifs imitating the surrounding dunes, while the cannons were painted and hidden under nets. The purpose of these amendments was to integrate the battery into the coastal landscape to escape allied aerial tracking. The firing steering station, located in front of the casemates, coordinated the entire defensive device.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 2002, the battery now includes all of its works, including casemates and associated infrastructure. Property shared between the State and the Department, it bears witness to the military adaptations during the occupation and the ingenuity of the concealment techniques employed. Its state of conservation and its location, noted as satisfactory a priori, make it a remarkable vestige of this period.

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